|| Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra, a night in George Mason

Not my favorite genre, but my overall interests in live music extended well throughout the night, that good music is epidemic and you just fall in love with the moments. Rocky provided the ticket for last night.

This piece from the Metropolitan Jazz Orchestra is a special tribute to Tito Puente, who according to the legend, is the "King of Latin Music". The entire 10 performances were around influences between Latin and Jazz. You think, how can they possibly merge into one, knowing that Latin is about loud and passionate, while Jazz fairly subdued and moody. Well, last night proved that they could mingle well enough to draw the attentions of the middle age and win applauses all over.

Various players of saxophones and trumpets, as well as a few trombones and rhythm sections took turns to come front to the stage and perform some notes individually. And as always, I observed their demeanors and styles. Their minds were certainly flowing with the music, who wouldn't, if you sat there in the auditorium. Most young players had quite an air about them, and the best of all are some of the black professionals. They are just born to have these qualities of rhythms and beats which are the essentials of doing Jazz. When they played, I felt I could read how much they put in the performances, all their emotions and experiences could be reflected in their fingers. The highlights of the night, of course, were the two guest of Timales and Congas.

This was a foggy night, and walking on the well groomed pathways around a pond, I watched the Center for the Arts building standing beautifully amid this still of the night. And I tried to remember when the last time was that I sat down for some serious art performances. That could be as early as ten years ago in the auditorium of Shanghai Centre. And the show was Shakespeare's The Tame of the Shrew. So so long time ago ... I am a person who just sits on the fence, not classy, not sportive, not adventurous, not anything specific, but happy that it gives me the freedom to cross one territory over another, without much hassle. I know it has also become my dilemma that I don't want to commit to anything, and the idea of commitment simply freaks me out.

My eyes were blurring on the way back, like the foggy weather sprinkling on my windshield, leaving that unclear visions into the rest of the world. I was thinking thousands of miles away. That was unclear also.